Tenshi no ashioto (Footsteps of an angel)
by Rabbit CAFE
Summary: Alternate reality, Ferio started having odd dreams the day he started dating his teacher. In this chaotic life, a little angel Fuu appeared under disguise and was hired by his sister to live with him. Potentially disturbing themes and violence.
1. Nazo no Shoujo

tenshi001 Part 1 Nazo no shoujo (mysterious girl) 

Warnings: 

  * Romance between teacher and student might offend some people. Some OOC occurs, especially Fuu.
  * Very mild shonen ai in later chapters. (Not Clamp couples, they are my own characters).
  * Deals with some issues and that includes heavy bullying.
  * > are used for communication in sign language0

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Write to me and call me often!" a green haired boy called after the car that was pulling out of the curb. The blond little girl in the back seat waved until the car went out of its sight. "Goodbye, Fuu." The boy called softly as he felt his elder sister gently putting an arm around him. 

Ferio jerked right up from bed and wiped sweat off his brow. 

"Ferio?" Sara, his class teacher asked sleepily as she rose as well. 

"Is anything wrong?" she asked as she touched his shoulder lightly. Ferio felt that her hand was scalding hot against his skin. 

"Nothing's wrong…" Ferio smiled at her gently as he touched her cheek and kissed her forehead. 

"Dreaming of my ex-boyfriend Masa?" Sara asked, her lips almost touching his. He kissed her lightly and snorted "Someone more important than him." 

"More important than me?" Sara asked as she put her arms around her student. Ferio blinked "Is Fuu?" he asked silently, then plastered a smile onto his face 

"I need some fresh air, sleep well, Sara-sansei." He winked at her then went off the bed. 

"Here is your assignment." Larfaga, an arch angel handed sheets of paper to the just-graduated angel Fuu. Fuu took the sheets with both hands and a chill was sent right through her. 

"Bonding, Lafarga-sansei?" Fuu asked as she raised her eyes from her sheets. 

"Yeah, it's not an easy assignment, especially for a new angel like you, so we bond you to your supervisor. You might need the help of an arch angel, your supervisor we have sent to the earth. But then, you might find your supervisor utterly useless. He has a morbid sense of humor like you, so you two might get along very well." 

"Sorry about the morbid part of my sense of humor." Fuu bowed her head, in hope to look obedient as her eyes were rolling. 

"It's a training for you as well, since you were new and we wanted you to earn a place among us arch angels, you possessed a tremendous amount of power." Lafarga smiled ignoring her. 

The wind was almost biting when Ferio's motorcycle zoomed past. A storm was coming. Ever since the day he started having affairs with his class teacher, he had dreams of a childhood friend whom he lost contact with. "If you have forgotten totally about me, why do you have to appear in my dreams every night, Fuu?!" he screamed into the night. He thought that getting a new girl friend might make him less lonely after his sister got married and moved away and later in the year, his mother died. His mother and sister were probably the only people who see him as someone who had feelings. His father sees him as a piece of garbage the boys in school see him as a monster, the girls wanted to win him as a prize. Then teachers just wanted to avoid him as much as possible as he is a rich man's son as well as a well-known playboy and delinquent. "Why do you all have to leave me?" he screamed again as a thunder struck. 

"Ferio..." Fuu sighed softly after she learned about her assignment. "What was wrong with you? The last time I wrote to you... the last letter I wrote you in my lifetime… you were still a normal person…normal…" she laughed at herself, as if Ferio was ever normal to her, he was the most eccentric person. 

Lafarga continued ranting during their meeting. "Fuu, this is important! For all angels who was sent to earth, they cannot talk nor hear and they do not have tears. So after you went down, you will be turned mute and deaf, and only with the power from your supervisor that you can speak and hear. Other from this little disability, you can still use your powers as an angel back down there. Easily enough to remember?" Lafarga smiled. 

"One question," Fuu raised her hand like a good student. 

"And what is it, Hououji-san?" Lafarga asked. 

"Why don't you go down and work on him? I'm not the only one related to him and is currently dead. You were his primary teacher." She pointed out. 

Lafarga smiled and said "That is a good question, because I am an arch angel and you are not." 

Fuu nodded and rolled her eyes "I see." 

At first Ferio felt nothing when the tires of his motorcycle hit a bump, then skidded. Then he felt that he was tossed out of the vehicle then his vision started spinning until he felt a sharp pain as well as a back out. 

Ferio woke up to see himself staring at a white ceiling. "Where am I?" he asked, feeling his lips cracked and dried. A figure clad in white helped him to sit up and passed him a glass of water. He squinted, only to see the figure has white complexion, pale haired and slight build. He would have thought that that was a girl if he had not known that person for so long. 

"Innova..." Ferio grunted. 

"We can fight later. What have you been doing by putting on that helmet? I would have been celebrating for the 'death of the pest Ferio' and would be enjoying myself." Innova sounded tragic. 

"Where is my sister?" he asked, ignoring Innova. 

"Out buying flowers as she did not like mine." Innova sounded distressed as he pointed towards Ferio's bedside table, where there was a vase of white lilies (white lilies means death in japanese terms). Ferio gritted his teeth as Innova ignored him and pointed to a girl sleeping on a chair next to Ferio's bed. Ferio's eyes widened at the sight of the girl. She was about fourteen, dressed in white, her complexion almost as white as Innova's and her blond hair curling to her shoulders. The image of the girl who appeared in his dreams superimposes with her. He knew that he did not know what the little girl in his dreams grew up into, but he did see some resemblance between this girl and the little girl. 

"She found you lying on the highway ALMOST as dead as the meat on the butcher's table." 

"You can have the time of your life while I'm in bed." Ferio growled. 

"It was not that you being healthy can beat me in any kind of fight." Innova grinned. 

Ferio grunted, it was true, he has beaten up thugs ten times his size, but never Innova. 

"Ferio, you waken?" Emeraude went over to him as she ran her hand through his hair. "Just when I thought I can have the time of my life. Imagine this, what speech can a pastor deliver at the PEST Ferio's funeral? He must say that someone missed him. And yet, everyone who knew Ferio were probably rejoicing for the death of the monster..." Innova would have said some more if Zagato had not suggested 

"Why don't we go out and discuss that theory of yours in detail?" Before he closed the door, Zagato gave Ferio a little nod and Ferio gave him a grateful sigh. If anyone can shut Innova up, it must be Zagato. 

Emeraude patted his cheek and said gently "I don't know what has happen between us, we were so close before and you never felt that you have to hide from me. Right after the death of Mother, we became so distant. Didn't you have a pen friend? Your childhood friend... what's her name, I forgot, but you can talk to her as well. I want you to have a confident, someone to talk to when you are in trouble, if you think that being married to Zagato will change things between us, you can not be more wrong. I am still your sister and will worry over you no matter what, and please talk to me when you need help as I will help you." Ferio smiled at her just as gently, she was his beloved sister, no matter who she married and he was happy for her that she marries Zagato as the man was perfect in a sense. Zagato was well bred, intelligent, courteous, respectable, (lovable in some cases), and handsome. Not that Ferio think that of himself as ugly, but aside from being born into a filthily rich family and inherited his father's good looks, he was still garbage when compared to Zagato. His father often meant it as a dig to Ferio that he wished Zagato was his son instead of Ferio. 

"Fuu, my little friend is probably sixteen and it should be her seventeenth birthday this December. She stopped writing to me six years ago, it just stopped rather abruptly. I didn't even hear anything from her family, did she move again and did not tell me, I don't know. I know I can talk to you if I can reach you, but you're still part of someone else's family. Every one who knows you did not know you as Emeraude, my sister, they know you as the Merchant Prince Zagato's wife. You were not the same person. You were always too busy in your office. I tried calling you once a day after you came back from honeymoon, but I always get Innova, your secretary. He went to the point as to ask me whether I have made an appointment with you even after I told him I am your brother." Ferio told her seriously. 

"Actually, you do have to make an appointment. I'm very sorry about Innova's incident and I knew there were some misunderstanding between him and you. Yet, I can not fire him, he is much too brilliant and actually, you two did not get along too badly. He is probably the only person who can be and wanted to be honest with you as you know your reputation well. He is someone who can beat you up, looks after you and didn't really want you dead the way some people in your school or other schools wanted you to be. He did talk about your funeral and stuff, but I only think that he is teasing you, or he would not have hired a nurse for you." Emeraude defended Innova. 

"A nurse?" Ferio asked, his eyes widened as he pictured women with tons of fat walking by with sinister smiles and stabbing needles in their hands. 

"That girl there..." Emeraude pointed to the same girl Innova had pointed him to. "Her? how old is she? She's even younger than me, I think, fourteen? Fifteen? When did Innova start using child labour?" Ferio asked incredulously. 

"She's fourteen, and got her PHD from the University of Autozam. She was here just to gain some work experience. By the way, don't discriminate her because she was a disabled person as she can neither speak nor hear, she can sue you." Emeraude told him seriously. 

"Sis, there must be something wrong…" Ferio started when the girl on the chair stirred. Ferio was dumb struck for a moment, his childhood friend Fuu had the same shade of green eyes, but if he remembered correctly, Fuu was shortsighted and need glasses, yet this girl doesn't, but, people are allowed to wear contacts. She gave both Ferio and Emeraude a slight nod and started writing on her notepad 'Do you want me to get out so you can talk?' 

"Why bother, you can't hear anyway!" Ferio said right out loud. The girl glared at him when Emeraude slapped him on his arm 

"She can read your lips, just treat her equally!" Ferio grunted again when the girl shook her head and went out of the room. 

"Her name is Fuu, and she might be your childhood friend." Emeraude winked at him. 

"How can she be? The Fuu I know was only shortsighted and can talk as well as can hear. And the Fuu I know was only about half a younger than me, this girl was at least three years younger if not more." Ferio told her bitterly. 

"Even if she is not, you can not ill-treat her. And another reason I paid her salary was for the fact that she can not hear you so you can not make her your toy the way you toyed at other women's feelings." Emeraude said meaningfully. She knew that her brother was a playboy even as she can do nothing with it. 

"I didn't toy at Sara's feelings." Ferio thought defensively and it was part true. He did date Sara just out of curiosity, as she is both five years older and is his teacher but later he grew fond of her. As she was understanding and kind as well as an owner of a model like body. And most of all, she had green eyes. He did not know whether he just liked women with green eyes or women who resembled the child Fuu in any way. 

So his fate was foreordained, he must have someone from his sister tagging with him for as long as his sister liked. This Fuu was really not that bad as he would like to think her to be. She was just stubborn, a little inflexible and flat bodied to him. Ferio admitted that he liked women with curves in the right places, yet this girl can cut her hair, wear men's clothes and pretend to be a bishounen with no one recognizing her as a girl. But then Fuu was not ugly either, her face was pretty enough but not as drop dead gorgeous as some women he has seen, for example, his sister. With himself temporarily crippled, he can not do much, the sight of Fuu holding luggage for him pained him. He was a playboy, but he never mistreated any women physically and letting a girl as young and small as her hold luggage for him was a sin. But Fuu did not complain. 

Ferio was back in his apartment, after his mother's death, he moved out of the house to live by himself and the money his father and sister put into his account every month. No one was his family after his sister got married and mother died. When he was looking out of his window when Fuu came with the porridge. She touched his arm gently and set the bowl down on the table beside his bed. Ferio looked at the porridge and noticed that it smelled like his mother's cooking and then looked at Fuu. She was standing beside his bed gently, waiting for him to eat. 

"Feed me." Ferio requested. She looked at him, measuring and weighing him, but picked the bowl up when he held up his injured right hand. 

Her every gesture was as gentle as his mother, from the way she smoothed her aprons across her lap to the way she picked up the bowl. She blew on the porridge to cool it off, then fed it to his mouth. The porridge was warm and Ferio felt healthy, a feeling he has never had before. Her cooking was not the best he has eaten, yet he think that he would like to eat her cooking every day from now on. 

Yet, people get bored, Ferio knew that he was wildlife and Fuu was just too…tame and refined. He just can not see her doing anything wrong. Everything she did was right, including the math problem she taught him, it was the hardest one he has ever came across. She was always right that it started to bore him, her gentleness and everything, no girl in the age of fourteen should act like that. Life is bland and life is boring. Fuu was like Sara in someway, but he think that he can touch Sara, have physical contact with her, but touching a little fourteen year old girl the way he touched Sara would be what people called Hentai. He can be called a heartless playboy but not a hentai who molest children. 

Ferio thought that his wounds were curing was totally because of Fuu's cookings. He did not know how the girl managed it, her food did not taste bad, but all of it tasted the same. From sukiyaki to plain rice, it tastes the same. He would have gotten up and cook for her if it was possible, living by himself for so long did make him learn how to cook and take care of the house. Ferio might have an attitude problem, but he was not dirty. 

Sara visited him often with some female students from the school. The girls had regarded Fuu as an enemy, but after knowing that Fuu had no interest in Ferio and the fact that Fuu can teach them all homework and have weaknesses, they all liked her. To Ferio, Fuu seemed to bring out something good in every girl, some taught Fuu how to play T.V games, knitting, even first aid. Ferio just does not know why Fuu was hired she can not cook very well, can not do first aid and almost the only thing she does was read or urge him to do homework, not very gently. However he was glad that the girls came, if they occupy Fuu's attention, he can have some time alone with Sara. Of course, he can not do anything too exciting with Sara with his whole body in bandages, yet it was comforting to have someone aside from his nurse around. 

He admitted that he did not hate Fuu nor disliked her, but she just seemed to live in a different world and will not understand him. However, he found himself going out of his way for her. For example, he was learning sign language just so that she will not have to write little notes to him every time she has to speak to him. He ordered funny videos with subtitles for her to watch just to see her laugh. He even agreed to do his homework with less and less reluctance every time, partly he felt that the work is not as difficult as before after her tutorials. 

At last the day for all the bandages to go off comes and Ferio was delighted, even though he was not tired of Fuu's cooking, he would like to have something else, and he was dying for alcohol. He did not understand Fuu, she seemed to hate alcohol with some passion and deliberately cleared everything that is slightly alcoholic in the fridge. He shook his head when he took his bag and let her help him button up his coat as his arm is still not working very well. 

Even the air smelled fresher outside his little apartment. "I'm free at last." He thought when he stepped into the school gates. The girls came to him, but most of the boys disappeared out of way. Sara was walking by him then smiled at him gently. 

The teachers were cursing under their breaths for Ferio was coming back and that means the start of trouble. However, Ferio attended every lesson and volunteered to do problems on the board. The teachers decided that Ferio has come to his senses because he had a hit on the head and was still in shock. Of course, they wished that this shock will last to the end of the school year, no, in fact, the rest of his life. 

Some guys even plucked up their courage to ask Ferio out to get a drink. Ferio remembered the time he had when Fuu discovered him drinking behind her back and he did not have a pleasant time so he declined POLITELY. That was an even bigger shock to everyone in school. When school ends he went home directly and found that no one was in the house. "Out to buy her groceries?" Ferio thought when laughed, he will remove her from the kitchen tonight. He refused to eat her 'Fuu' taste cooking again. Just when he opened the fridge, felt the need to have some alcohol. "She's not back, right? What she didn't know will not anger her." He thought when he grabbed his keys and left the house. 

Fuu pushed the door open and found that no one was in the apartment. She locked the door again, and started preparing dinner. It was just 5 o'clock, Ferio might be in for football practice. She smiled at the thought as she remembered Ferio as a good soccer player. Dinner was ready, everything was laid out, and she was still waiting by putting on one of the tapes into the VCR to watch. She looked at the clock from time to time and Ferio has still not come back.. Fuu closed her eyes as she sensed her source from the heavens, transparent wings and feathers glowed when she basked in the light but she let go of the source just before the power seep through her. If she used her powers, she will alarm her supervisor. She did not want to alarm him for various reasons. She glanced at the clock again the frowned, "Ferio, you ARE late!"she thought. 

The boys were in the pub and before Ferio knew it, he was drinking with pitchers and all of the boys were impressed, including the girl whom she said she worked there. Obviously, the girl paid more attention to Ferio than any one else in the room and the boys were even more impressed by that. In his half drunkenness, Ferio can not make out half of what the girl was saying. She did have a soft and sultry voice, she was murmuring unintelligible words into his ear while sitting on his lap, with his arm around her waist. Time passed and something was nagging in his mind, he thought he has to go somewhere, but his memory was blurry. 

The boys excused them and left one by one as night came over. Ferio at last was left alone with that girl playing with his ponytail, the thugs and a pair of coldly angry eyes that were eyeing them. The girl gave his hair a hard yank and forced him to look at her. He glanced at her briefly, she used too much paint and powder, and the outfit is too tight for her. He thought with a laugh inside as the girl did look slim enough, but she was dead heavy on his knees. 

The door swung open and a stream of light showered into the light impaired pub. Ferio squinted and put his keg down to see a girl with hair that gave off small glints, her white vest, jeans, socks and boots seemed to give out a light that was almost flaring. Fuu stepped up to him while the thugs eyed her almost warily even for her small size. Ferio picked up the piece of not paper that Fuu slammed on the table. The words 'WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING HERE!?' was written on it in bold and red outlined with black. Ferio blinked, then looked back at her, he seemed fully aware of the situation. 

Red wine was splashed onto Fuu's shirt and dyed it blood red. "He's here to have some fun with me, talk to me if you have some problem, he's mine, dearest." The girl replied cockily then sneered. Fuu turned her attention from Ferio and then was fully on the girl. With eyebrows raised, Fuu slapped the girl full on the face. 

"How.. How dare you.." the girl sputtered, have clinging onto Ferio. Everything was too clear to him suddenly, Fuu was standing in front of him, her back straight, her eyes challenging the thugs who looked menacing and wary at the same time. 

"That should be enough!" Ferio said slowly and dangerously at the same time as he led Fuu out. 

Fuu glared at him briefly and pulled her hand away then stalked off. Ferio knew he was following like a puppy, yet he can not do anything with it. Fuu stepped into the park they passed by normally on their way home. Fuu sat down on the swing and start rocking herself. 

What was your problem by charging into a pub like that? You know the dangers?> he did his sign language and the signs were so exaggerated that he looked as if he was shouting. 

I know it just like you do, probably even more. If you know the dangers, can you answer me why you are there, instead of home?> She asked with her hands, her eyes still angry. 

I probably know how to take care of those occasions more than you. And about your last question, just who so you think you are now? My wife?> he asked a little mockingly. Fuu's eyes widened, her mouth parted then snapped shut as she stamped on his foot as hard as possible and stormed off. Before she was out of his view, she turned back and said with her hands 

If you can live without me, I would not be here wasting my time with you!> her signs were very exaggerated as well, and he assume that she was angry as her back was to the light. 

Ferio knew he can go and drink somewhere else with Fuu gone. But she has dampened his entire mood. He also felt the need to apologize as he knew that with Fuu's stubbornness and the degree that he has angered her, she will not be the one going to make up with him. No matter what he felt about Fuu, he wanted to make peace with her for the sake of the days he has to spend with her. 

Ferio saw the cold dinner, obviously, she hasn't eaten then heard noise from the TV. Fuu was playing 'King of Fighters' and the computer's player was beaten up pretty badly. Making peace with her will be hard, but necessary. He shook his head miserably as he stepped into the kitchen. 

The drink was cold when it was pressed to her face. Fuu glared up at Ferio to see him smiling at her, handing her a glass of iced lemon tea with lemon jellies floating on it. She accepted it wordlessly and took a sip. She smiled softly, as Ferio still remembered this as her favourite drink when she was still small and alive. 

Whatever you think... I still think a girl is not supposed to go to those places even for retrieving someone as you probably has never fought anyone before. Maybe you're different from the rest, I don't know, your slap and that stamp on the foot was hard enough, though.> He laughed as he took his shoe to rub his sore feet. Fuu glared at him for some time then smiled. Ferio has not changed completely yet. 


	2. Jibuun no Chikara

Part 2 Jibuun no Chikara Part 2 Jibuun no Chikara (Strength of oneself) 

Warning: Bullying scene/violence, mild Shounen ai 

Ferio shook his head when he walked with Fuu to his school. Innova just had to give pressure to the principal in order to get Fuu into his school, in the same grade and the same class even when she was three years younger. Why did Innova want to keep an eye so much on him? Isn¡¦t Innova the first person to want him die in a hideous way? Ferio had thoughts like that, but he did not know whether it was that he changed too much that Innova almost looked civil to him these days. Ferio glanced at Fuu who was waving to a girl passing by. Why did Fuu have to be there? He was almost LOVABLE to everyone when she was around and he did miss time alone with Sara. He has not seen Sara lately and he knew that she was not happy that he was spending so much time with Fuu. 

Fuu stopped just in front of the school building to see a boy with longish black hair that reached the lapels of the jacket of his uniform. She stepped nearer to see that his face was filled with bruises, the skin that was untouched was just as pale as she was. She tugged at Ferio¡¦s hand and indicated at the boy. 

¡§That¡¦s Shin, the sand bag of the thugs of this school while the thugs are the sand bag of mine!¡¨ Ferio told her proudly. Fuu rolled her eyes upwards and sighed rather tragically. 

Lunchtime came and Ferio made an excuse to see Sara, Fuu said nothing and he was glad. Ferio has sensed that something was breaking in between him and Sara, and he wanted to know what or who was the cause of it. 

Fuu was having her lunch with her friends and they were talking of various topics, they said it slowly so Fuu can read their lips with no difficulty. They were laughing at some thing one of them said when Fuu spotted Shin limping by slowly with his head down. Fuu watched until he disappeared and asked one girl the reason for the limping. 

¡§Shin kun¡K Oh he is cute and is definitely a bishounen, but he is so much of a coward that everyone picks on him, some picks on him because he has a pretty face.¡¨ One girl said. 

Then another said ¡§It¡¦s not only because of his looks, he is half a foreigner as his mother is not a native Japanese. Look how frail he is, everyone wanted to bully him, even girls. It was said that he can loose a fight even with someone the size of Fuu-san.¡¨ 

¡§I don¡¦t think anyone can fight Fuu-chan if she can tame Ferio-kun using the usual way.¡¨ The third giggled and showed her fists. 

'I¡KI am not a violent person¡K' Fuu wrote on her note pad with a blush on her face when they laughed. 

¡§What are you angry about?¡¨ Ferio asked as he stroked Sara¡¦s cheek gently, running his hand over her soft skin the way that sent a chill through her. They were in the store room just beside the gym. 

¡§I¡K I am not angry¡K¡¨ Sara said and sighed softly as Ferio adjusted his uniform shirt. 

¡§If it¡¦s about Fuu, you can relax, she is not one bit impressed with anything I do.¡¨ Ferio murmured in her ear as he put his arm around her slim waist. ¡§But are you impressed with her?¡¨ Sara asked as her hands flew to his hair. Ferio pulled back a tiny bit, and she noticed this little motion. 

¡§I¡K¡¨ Ferio stopped a little and started thinking ¡§Do I?¡¨ 

¡§I¡¦m just fond of her as a little friend.¡¨ Ferio replied. 

¡§Different from the feelings you felt for me?¡¨ Sara asked. 

¡§Very different.¡¨ Ferio replied. 

He glanced at Fuu from the side, was he dreaming? She seemed to glow when she stepped into the church. She just looked a part of the mural. Ferio yawned, it was Sunday and Fuu had to pull him to church, he can not say that she forced him, she tricked him there in a way he did not want to mention, as it made him appear stupid. His thought wander back to the conversation he had with Sara in the dark little storeroom. 

¡§My relationship with Fuu is absolutely platonic.¡¨ Ferio thought then remembered what he does with Sara and what he did with Fuu. What he did with Sara was what lovers do usually, hold hands, kiss and those of the kind, he did think about her and talk to her. Yet he was certain that he was not frank with her, as he did not want to appear weak to her. About Fuu, he was almost ready to pour his heart out in front of her, he can talk to her and she will listen, even if she did not approve. She was someone whom he can depend on who will rescue him whether she had the power or not. The most alarming thing about them being together was that he shared a spiritual bond with her so strong that he felt he can not cut her out of his mind. Even when he was with Sara, he felt that she was there, watching them. 

¡§Fuu, you are not going home, yet?¡¨ Ferio asked incredulously when Fuu walked deeper into the church. 

"You don't have to come here, really¡K" Ferio whispered 

Why not?> Fuu asked. 

"You can't even hear what the pastor was saying and you have been acting like a saint.¡¨ Ferio told her and she smiled at him appreciatively. 

¡§Except for the cooking perhaps.¡¨ Ferio added with a grin and Fuu glared at him in the eyes then her hands moved You cook then, stop taking turns, you cook every meal, from breakfast to lunch to dinner!> Ferio was laughing lightly when she went past him and stared up at the tinted glass. 

Ferio was stunt for a moment, the soft light that went through the tinted glass windows concentrated on her, play with her blond hair that made it a golden halo for a moment. Some thought struck Ferio all of a sudden, all Fuu¡¦s clothes were white, including this one, it was a white sleeveless dress that reached her ankles, her socks were white and boots were white as well. 

¡§Is this girl a color blind?¡¨ he thought as he remembered her pictures drawn in art class. It was always green and white and her art was always full of character, everyone knew that it must be Fuu¡¦s picture when they saw a black blotch on the paper when it should have been an apple. In another sense, Fuu¡¦s weakness seemed to be cooking, and now art! 

Fuu turned and saw Shin limping away from the office of the pastor's. ¡§Shin again, is it?¡¨ Ferio asked. She nodded the looked inquiringly at him. 

¡§He went to church a lot and he always has a lot to say to the pastor.¡¨ Ferio answered. 

Because he is always bullied? Why?> Fuu asked again with her hands. 

¡§He looked like a girl already and is a half foreigner. Then he has no backbone and can not stand up straight.¡¨ Ferio answered her. 

Can¡¦t he tell the school? The school has to do something about it.> Fuu pointed out with sign language. 

¡§You answer why I weren¡¦t kicked out of school.¡¨ Ferio asked her. Fuu¡¦s eyes widened, frowned, her lips parted a incredulously then said with her hands 

Because those bullies have parents who were sponsors of the school? And Shin-san can not get any help because he has no parent of authority.> Fuu answered. 

¡§Yeah, that¡¦s true, poor guy!¡¨ Ferio sighed honestly, shaking his head. 

Fuu looked at him from sideways for some time then grinned as her hands moved You have a heart, you proved it.> 

Ferio rolled his eyes ¡§I do have one, my dearest!¡¨ Fuu smiled and blushed at his last statement. 

The following day, Shin was missing, then another day with Shin missing and the whole week passed with no words from him. 

¡§Tsuyoshii-kun, please take your notes to Shin-kun.¡¨ Sara requested, as Tsuyoshii is the class president. Fuu stood up, causing her chair to fall. 

'I¡¦ll go!' she hurried to deliver the note to Sara-sansei. Sara nodded as she knew that Fuu¡¦s notes were just as perfect as Tsuyoshii¡¦s, maybe even better as Fuu¡¦s hand writing was a little neater. 

Just then Tsuyoshi stood up and Ferio groaned. Whenever Tsuyoshii or Fuu said something, the other was bound to present an opposite argument along with some quotes or facts as if the two genius students were born to contradict each other. Tsuyoshii was a rival to Ferio for fans as he has his own fan club as well. Tsuyoshi himself knew that he is handsome in the most refined way, with tea colored hair and deep intelligent blue eyes. The cheekbones and the bridge of his nose were high so the glasses he wore did not mar his beauty in anyway. 

¡§Did I offend you in some obscure way I am not aware of, Fuu-san? You just absolutely have to argue with me.¡¨ Tsuyoshii asked in sign language (He learned it just to argue with Fuu so he would not have to use his pen and paper.), his expression deceivingly pleasant. 

Honto ni gomen nasai! But I am not arguing with you about this, I just want to see Shin-san.> Fuu explained. 

¡§Ah, Summimasen.¡¨ Tsuyoshii¡¦s expression was not relaxed and was unreadable. 

Ferio was grateful for the little break from Fuu, he don¡¦t have to be aware of every one of his little movements. It was not that he has to put on an act before her as she knew his true self very well, but it was always good to let people know that he beats people up instead of letting everyone see it. He can not even swear in front of her, if she was just a little older, then he would have more freedom, but then, his feelings for her and Sara would be blurred even more. 

Fuu was organizing her notes, waiting for Innova to drive her to Shin¡¦s apartment. Ferio called Innova as a favor for her when he left her in school since he knew that Shin lived in a filthy part of a town and Fuu will not be that safe alone. But with Innova, the first class fighter with her, she will at least have some protection. Innova came up to her fifteen minutes later after the call, offered to take her bag, and opened the back seat of a car door to her. She looked at the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution wearily then eyed Innova. 

¡§Don¡¦t look at me like that, I am not some speeding drunken driver, by the way, this is a LanEvo VII the newest model out there, it's your pleasure to ride in it with me.¡¨ He told her as he got behind the wheel. Fuu sighed and shook her head. 

¡§How¡¦s you and Ferio doing?¡¨ Innova asked. 

Fine.> Fuu said with her hands. 

¡§I have heard that you pulled Ferio out of a bar some few months ago, no one has achieved that.¡¨ Innova smiled. 

I think pulling him out before he got completely drunk is better.> Fuu said, still with her hands. 

¡§Well, are you afraid that he will get drunk or was it because he has a girl on his lap?¡¨ Innova asked, his eyes regarding her on the back view mirror. Fuu blushed, then sighed and shook her head meaning she doesn¡¦t know. 

¡§Emeraude was afraid that he might catch aids, the rate he was sleeping with girls.¡¨ Innova told her with a little chuckle. 

Fuu asked thoughtfully Is he really that bad?> 

¡§Sure, now he is perhaps with his teacher, his new girl friend.¡¨ Innova replied. 

I know Sara-sansei, she is a very nice person.> Fuu smiled. 

¡§Why, not a bit jealous?¡¨ Innova asked, he was very observant and knew that there is some affection from Ferio to Fuu and vice versa. 

No.> Fuu answered. 

¡§Why?¡¨ Innova asked curiously. 

First thing, he has affection for her and I don¡¦t mind that, I don¡¦t mind people being intimate because they are really lovers. Secondly, I don¡¦t have to own him and I can¡¦t.> Fuu said. 

The doorbell rang and Shin opened the door, surprised to see the girl genius, still in her pure white school uniform standing there, notes in her hands. Fuu was about to step in when he closed the door right at her face. Fuu blinked when Innova chuckled and said "People don't like getting help from you, I see." Fuu looked at him then back at the door, then crouched down and wrote a note, then slipped it under his door. 

The door opened instantly and Fuu smiled while Innova frowned, and said "I'll collect you, Shin-kun, help her make a call to me." Innova waved one hand then went down the stairs quickly, yet gracefully. 

"What do you mean?" Shin asked tiredly when Fuu stepped into the room. 

'I am not going to hurt you.' Fuu pressed another piece of paper into his hands. 

"Didn't you just said that you knew what I said to the pastor and is going to put it up on the notice board tomorrow?" Shin's eyes narrowed, but he still sounded tired. 

'I guess I know, but I am not sure.' Fuu wrote on her pad and passed him the sheet. He looked confused when she smiled and pointed at her ear. "You're deaf, I almost forgot¡K" Shin laughed bitterly. 

"Even little deaf girls can bully me¡K" he muttered. 

'Where's the kitchen?' Fuu asked him with her pen after a while of studying him. 

"There." Shin answered shortly, pointing to a dark little room. Fuu put her notes and bags down, fished a bag out and went to it. 

Shin was reading her notes dejectedly when she returned. She handed him a glass of lemon jelly float. "Why?" he asked as he almost flinched back when she reached for his hand to take the glass as he refuse to get it himself. 

'It might not be delicious but its edible.' She wrote on his hand, still with a smile. A faint smile appeared on his lips when he sipped the soda. Fuu knew what Ferio was saying about her cooking and so she bought soda instead of trying to make tea and used ready-made jelly, all she did was to arrange it. 

'Everyone has to scream or complain or just to share their thoughts with someone sometimes. You especially, since you did not seem to have many friends in school and no one is doing anything about your condition, I guessed you must have seek comfort from the pastor.' Fuu explained in paper. 

"And what do you prepare to do with it?" Shin asked as he put the glass on the table. 'You seek comfort from the pastor not only because he is part of the church, but he has no one to talk to about your affairs, aside from God, I guess, so you feel comfortable talking to him. But you'll be much safer talking to me, as I can not speak.' Fuu wrote another note to him. 

"Why are you doing this?" Shin said almost coldly. 

'Everyone must talk to some one other than the pastor, the pastor can not do anything about your school life.' Fuu wrote. 

"Can you?" Shin asked. 

'I might. The problem is, you can not talk to the pastor whenever you need to and I seem to see you a lot. Trust someone. It is very sad not to have someone who listens to you when you need.' Fuu pressed the sheet on Shin's hand. Shin looked at her when she passed him Innova's phone number into his hand. Shin nodded and picked up the phone. 

"Any luck with the little thing?" Ferio asked when Fuu closed the door to their apartment that night. 

He refused to talk to me.> Fuu confessed, looking a little defeated. 

"Why do you have to take everything onto your shoulders. It's everyone's welfare, they are the people who should fight for it, not you going out of your way trying to pull them out of their distress." Ferio pointed out when Fuu looked at his homework and marked a cross on one of his sums. 

Some people need encouragement.> Fuu pointed out then went back to his math homework. She looked please, 70% of all the sums were done right. 

"And you were out to encourage everyone? That was not your job. You just don't have to gather everyone's troubles to yourself as if you were the pastor who listens to the sheep's troubles. No, you are more busy than the pastor, you go out to help them emotionally and physically." Ferio held a little complain in his voice. 

Some one needs to do the job. Shin needs someone in school who can help him reflect his ideas. He just doesn't trust anyone as he gets bullied too much and lose faith to the whole human race. And we can not leave him to that, either he will turn inside and hurt himself or turn into an extremist and hurt all around him.> Fuu said. Ferio looked at her incredulously. 

It's not funny and I am not exaggerating. These people who suffers like this needs all the help they can get.> Fuu pointed out, her hands were so fast that he was not sure whether he knew what she meant exactly. 

"I can end all his problems." Ferio said. Fuu looked at him wonderingly. 

"Don't look at me like that, I am not some pests described by Innova." Ferio told her. Tell me your plan please.> Fuu's hands said and she looked very curious. 

"Simple, I beat the bullies up if they dared touching Shin." Ferio said proudly. "Then who will help him if you decide to bully him?" Fuu asked, sweat-dripping. 

"Why would I want to bully anyone?" Ferio asked incredulously. 

You bullied me all the time, who can say when you decide you wanted to bully anyone else.> Fuu pointed out then went into her room. 

"When? WHEN?" Ferio questioned his eyes wide. Deeply engraved in his mind, he always thought that Fuu was bullying him. 

Shin went to school a day later and returned all notes to Fuu. Fuu tried to read something from his face, but has read nothing. Fuu flipped her notes to see something falling from it. It was a letter to her and she read it, Shin agreed to talk to her. She smiled, at last she gained the confidence of Shin. In the next few days Fuu spent a lot of time with Shin and Ferio felt very relieved. Fuu seemed satisfied with her patient and loosened her control on him so he can visit his girlfriend on a more regular basis. Another thing to be happy about was that Fuu seemed to be enjoying herself, as long as she is happy he will be happy. 

After knowing Fuu, Shin's second friend came, Tsuyoshii. Tsuyoshii met them by lunch one day and he strongly contradicted the argument of creationism, which Fuu presented in a debate earlier. Everyone who were eating with Fuu departed once Tsuyoshii started rambling on, but Shin seemed to enjoy seeing them argue without poking at each other personally. For example, Tsuyoshii never once made an issue about Fuu's disability. After Tsuyoshi and Fuu's 30 minutes of debating, Shin finally came and added some comments on both sides. Shin might not be the top three student in his grade, but he is definitely in the top ten with his intelligence, if he was given a chance to express himself. "You should come to the debate team, we welcome you." Tsuyoshii invited Shin and he blushed. "But I¡K" Shin started. "You don't have to be shy, no one has the right to laugh at you even if you make mistakes humans were meant to make some mistakes, except for Fuu-san, she never did anything wrong." Tsuyoshii pointed at Fuu. Fuu blushed and made some modest remarks. "See, modest, but not overly done. You suffer from a low self esteem, join us, we can cure that in no time." Tsuyoshii carried on, very hard sell. "Give it a try!" Ferio plopped elbows right on Shin's shoulders. Shin looked at Fuu and Fuu nodded and smile. "I'll come to your next meeting." Shin said to Tsuyoshii. 

Debating was fun, everyone seemed cold and distant before the debate topic was given, but then working together with people was fun for Shin. The people in the debate team did not say anything personal about each other and often they talked about controversial issues. 

¡§I¡¦ll wait for you by the school gates.¡¨ Tsuyoshii called when Shin left for the toilet. Three thugs were waiting by the boys toilet and before Shin can retreat, one of the closed the door and locked it, Shin was feeling all wobbly inside. 

"Have a great time, Shin-chan?" they leered. 

Ferio was relieved when Sara said that she believed that he has never done anything physically intimate with Fuu. Yet, Ferio has not noticed that she still looked worry-struck about his and Fuu¡¦s relationship. He was walking along the hallway with Fuu, Ferio had said that he will wait for her archery practice to finish so they can leave for the market together. Fuu was walking by, feeling that something was wrong but don¡¦t know what it is when Ferio heard stifled sobs by the male¡¦s toilet. They raced towards and when Fuu was about to step into the room, Ferio pulled her hand ¡§That¡¦s the male¡¦s toilet, you stay out there.¡¨ He said then went in. 

The scene was horrible, Shin was hung by a rope to the ceiling beams. He was naked with bruises all over his white skin. The skin not covered with bruises was filled with obscene language written with an oil based felt pen. Ferio felt sick to his toes, he might have beaten people up, but he never humiliated and tormented someone like that. Ferio was glad he kept Fuu out or she might have fainted on the spot. He untied the rope and helped Shin down. Shin was still sobbing when Ferio got him dressed. ¡§Those bullies again, is it?¡¨ Ferio asked. Shin coughed then raced out of the toilet, ran right pass Fuu towards the staircase. 

Ferio and Fuu were both running to the stairs after Shin. Ferio followed him when Fuu ran to get some help from whoever¡¦s in the staff room. When he reached the top of the school building, Shin was right before the fence that separated them. ¡§Come back inside, silly!¡¨ Ferio screamed, trying to climb over the fence to Shin. He can not let Fuu¡¦s work drain down the pipe, well, threw down the building like that. 

¡§Don¡¦t come near!¡¨ Shin screamed. 

Fuu found everyone gone from the staff office except for Sara, she was buttoning her blouse and rearranging her skirts when Fuu ran into it. 

¡§Fuu-san¡K¡¨ Sara exclaimed when Fuu was doing her sign language in a frantic, it was so fast that she did not know what Fuu was talking about. 

¡§Don¡¦t jump! You are going to die!¡¨ Ferio¡¦s scream was heard and Sara raced to the window and saw something dropping. 

Tsuyoshi watched in horror as Shin was plummeting to his death. The mattresses left behind on the field by the high jump team was still there, but Shin was so lucky that the path he was taking will send him to the hard ground beside it. Tsuyoshi¡¦s eyes opened wide when a white clad figure shot from the staff room window towards Shin and steered him to the mattresses. 

¡§Fuu-san¡K¡¨ ¡§Fuu!¡¨ Sara and Ferio ran down to the field by the mattress. Shin was crying into Fuu¡¦s shoulder and Tsuyoshii watched with a relieved expression on his face. Ferio stopped and swallowed, there were snowy feathers around Fuu on the spot she landed. ¡§You okay?¡¨ Ferio asked when he saw the bruise from the fall that appeared on Fuu¡¦s arm. She smiled and nodded before her eyes fell on Shin who clutched one of the white feathers in his hand. 

Everyone went to Ferio¡¦s apartment later, as Ferio lived by himself and so no one will question him bringing an all injured boy back to his place. Sara was bandaging Fuu¡¦s wounds when Tsuyoshii and Ferio worked on scrubbing all the felt pen marks off Shin¡¦s body. Ferio¡¦s shoulders were too broad for Shin, but they have the same height so Ferio lent his clothes to Shin who looked all shame faced when he met the girls. 

¡§I'm sorry for causing so much trouble¡K I do not know what has gotten into me¡K¡¨ Shin started and bit his lip. Sara looked guilty as she has done nothing about his condition and Fuu nodded gently in understanding. 

¡§No use in blaming yourself now, curse them, use the language I taught you.¡¨ Ferio pressed. 

Shin blushed and bit his lip when Tsuyoshii scolded ¡§Don¡¦t teach people how to swear! You¡¦re scaring him.¡¨ Tsuyoshii was blushing behind the hand that was busy pushing his glasses up his nose. It must be even more graphical than the ones written on Shin¡¦s body, Fuu thought, though she did not know how it can be possible. 

Ferio, translate for me.> Fuu said to Ferio with her hands and he nodded. Shin-san, I don¡¦t know what the pastor said to you. He probably told you to offer your right cheek along with your left cheek for someone to slap.> Ferio, Tsuyoshii and Sara looked at Fuu incredulously. 

Anyway,¡¨ Fuu carried on, ¡§What we figured out is¡K that rule might no longer work now. I don¡¦t know¡K If you offered me your left cheek along with your right to slap, I¡¦d probably run.> Another incredulous look from everyone. 

¡§Get on to the subject, shall we?¡¨ Ferio asked. 

Okay, so when that rule doesn¡¦t work, let us go by this one, ¡¥God only help those who help themselves.¡¦ It is time for you, and us to think of a way to stop those bullies completely. I am sure with so many to help you, We can get you out of that mess.> She smiled. 

"Didn¡¦t I pull you into an even bigger mess? You would not have hurt your arm." Shin said apologetically. 

"That doesn¡¦t matter! She¡¦ll be the last person to die even if the earth perish this minute. Her life¡¦s energy can be compared to the cockroach race, she¡¦s one green and white cockroach.¡¨ Ferio mistranslated everything Fuu said. 

¡§Ferio!¡¨ Sara halted him. 

¡§Who¡¦s going ¡¥Fuu! Fuu!¡¦ when Fuu-san fell?¡¨ Tsuyoshii reminded everyone. ¡§Fuu-san, I apologize for Ferio, he is a little hyper since you are alright.¡¨ Tsuyoshii said. I¡¦d love to say that I understand.> Fuu¡¦s hands and eyes said it all. 

Anyway, we are not here to say what I represented¡K> she started, but Ferio cut her off again ¡§Which she is one green and white cockroach trimmed with gold, a very interesting cockroach indeed.¡¨ 

Will you please stop that?> Fuu asked, her eyes icy cold and her signs done in slow motion. 

¡§I agree with Fuu-san about helping yourself and after all, no one in this incident is anymore hurt than you, you are the center of it. Let us help.¡¨ Tsuyoshii said to Shin. 

Shin looked into Tsuyoshii¡¦s eyes for a moment, and nodded. ¡§There was a rumor about you guys these days, do you know that?¡¨ Ferio asked them. 

¡§Hmm?¡¨ Tsuyoshi asked, not very interested. 

¡§That you two are gay lovers.¡¨ Ferio replied as Fuu just rolled her eyes, Shin¡¦s and Sara¡¦s face was all red while Tsuyoshii just shrugged. ¡§If anyone disliked our friendship, they can challenge me.¡¨ 

¡§Back to the subject, treat it seriously.¡¨ Sara warned Ferio. 

¡§Why?¡¨ Ferio asked. 

¡§You have way to get Shin out of his misery once and for all, say it.¡¨ Tsuyoshii said, then something snapped in him. 

¡§Teach him self-defense, isn¡¦t that the most sensible of all? If we can not work with those bullies, we¡¦ll work on him. And he stay near me for the time being, he has to be totally dependent on me for a while, no choice¡¨ Ferio said and grinned then shrugged. 

Good idea!> Fuu said with her hands, her smile as appreciative. Finally, a particular someone proved that his brain has not turned completely into muscles.> Fuu continued when Ferio glared at her. 

No one knows whether it was because Shin stuck to Ferio these days or that Shin seemed to have a tan and more muscles, no one bullied him. And for a few weeks, everyone managed to have peaceful days. Including Ferio, Fuu did not bug him as much about homework. But a fateful day came. 

Everyone was reading from the bulletin and saw photos, not very decent ones of Shin. It was taken when Shin was hung from the ceiling. ¡§Fuu, you know what happened?¡¨ one girl asked Fuu worriedly. Fuu bit her lip and scanned the corridor for any signs for Shin. Fuu tried to wriggle to the front of the people to the photos, but Tsuyoshii was there, first, already pulling the photos off. He walked away from the crowd and no one dared stopping him for the scary look on his flawless face. Fuu ran from the corridor to search for Ferio and Shin. 

Shin knew that challenging those bullies is another form of suicide, but he wanted to do it. If he is not doing it now, the days in the future will be worse than death for him. The bullies were using insulting language and the blows on his body were hard. Yet those did not hurt him the way it has before. He still failed to punch anyone and was already down on the floor suffering. ¡§Thank you¡K Ferio-kun, Fuu-san, Sara-sansei¡KTsuyoshii! Tsuyoshii!¡¨ he did not even notice himself calling for the class president. 

Tsuyoshii met Ferio and there was a sinister smile on Ferio¡¦s face. ¡§I think Shin is still alive.¡¨ Tsuyoshii said to him and Ferio nodded. ¡§Keep Fuu and Sara¡KSara-sansei out of this.¡¨ Ferio said as they went to the gym. 

¡§Shin, still alive?¡¨ Ferio called as he unbuttoned his uniform jacket, flung it over his shoulder and kicked the door open letting a stream of sunlight in to the dark gym. The bullies flinched a little when Shin looked up and smiled. 

¡§Stand up.¡¨ Ferio instructed Shin and with Tsuyoshii¡¦s help, he stood up. 

¡§Ferio¡K¡¨ one of the bullies started when Ferio grinned evilly, ¡§Shin and I, two to four, fair enough?¡¨ And before the last words ended, the fight started. 

Fuu saw four totally ragged boys limping out of the gym, and at the sight of them Fuu winced. She stepped in to see Ferio and Shin. Shin was totally injured, but the smile on his face was radiant and Ferio at a satisfied smile on his. Tsuyoshii was reading his novel with the name 'Sweet Valentines', as if nothing happened in the gym. 

Ferio smiled at her and announced ¡§Shin punched each of them once!¡¨ Fuu looked at the two of them, blank faced for a moment, then smiled and shook her head in defeat. 

Ferio, Shin and the Bullies were called in for a long talk. Since all of them, except for Shin as parents who are sponsors of the school, and Shin was being protected by Ferio this time, no one was kicked out. 

Fuu and Ferio were walking home from school that day and Ferio¡¦s mood was self-congratulatory. 

¡§I know you hate fighting, but at that time what can I do, I can only fight them with Shin, that was Shin¡¦s will as well.¡¨ Ferio told her defensively. 

I didn¡¦t say anything about it.> Fuu¡¦s hands said and she still looked blank. 

¡§Tell me what you think of it.¡¨ Ferio pressed. 

I believed that sensible people don¡¦t fight to get things done. Violence is the worst way to solve a problem.> Fuu¡¦s hands said and that dampened Ferio¡¦s mood somehow. 

However,> She smiled at him, her back to the setting sun and that made her glow. 

Shin were not dealing with sensible people and so, what you guys did were right. I think¡K> she continued and Ferio grinned, half seeing a halo forming on her head. ¡§I¡¦m no longer some brainless idiot, then?¡¨ he asked. 

I never thought you were one, just that you chose not to use to the device called brain most of the time.> She was still smiling as she turned and walked towards their apartment. 


	3. Shiroi Kaze

Part 3 Yoru wa Nemuranai (Sleepless night)

Part 3 Shiroi Kaze

School was normal and Fuu seemed to bug Ferio about his delinquent problems less and less, however, Ferio started missing Fuu's attention. But that also gave him time to analyze his feelings for Sara and Fuu. He has noticed before that his relationship with Sara was like normal lovers, nothing particular and he was satisfied by it. But about Fuu, he can feel a bond that tied him to her, she was almost a part of him, she was his conscious and he felt a desperate need to make her happy and ensure her happiness. 

"Spiritual love…that was never my cup of tea…" Ferio shook his head to clear his thoughts and Fuu looked at him questioningly. 

"Nothing…" he reassured her and she nodded then continued with her chores.

Fuu was granted access to Ferio's room as she always offered to clean the house for him. She was sweeping the floor and the broom hit is shelf accidentally, a shoebox fell and, hit her head and everything scattered on the floor. Hearing the noise, Ferio ran into his room to see Fuu rubbing her forehead as well as trying to pick the contents up. 

"See, no bruises…" Ferio said as he brushed her hair aside. Her eyes widened and blushed at his gestured. 

"Just some old letters that doesn't matter." He reassured her and started picking everything up with care. Fuu knew what those were, the letters she wrote to him before she died and it touched her that he still kept them. His eyes were gentle when he fingered each letter. 

"Mind rearranging them for me? I'll tell you the story of those letters." Fuu looked at him, a warm glow in her eyes and rearranged everything by date. She remembered everything she has written to him by heart. The Ferio in she knew in her lifetime was always gentle and caring to everybody and she can talk about him about anything. The last letter she wrote to him was about the man who dumped her sister and her sister was in a bad state. Fuu was in a rage at that time and in the letter she wrote that she disliked all men, forgetting the fact that Ferio was a male as well. And in Ferio's letter, he wrote 

"Most of them are disgusting, but not all of them. You might meet someone later, and the someone will only wish for your happiness." Ferio was only eleven at that time.

"Want to know who the person was who wrote me all these letters?" Ferio asked as they settled on the sofa, a Christmas carol can be heard from the T.V. 

Ferio smiled and said "I met her today, 14 years ago. Her parents were doctors who moved around to different hospitals. That night, her parents were off for an urgent call for a patient and she was left alone with her sister." 

Fuu remembered that, her sister was trying to cheer her up by reading to her, but because of the cold she had caught, it was almost impossible to cheer her up. 

"We were having a little party but I ran out of the house, because it was my father's party, it was full of his friends." Ferio said in distaste. 

Fuu interrupted and said Try understand your father, he still cares about you a little and improving your relationship can not be bad, will it? 

Ferio nodded and almost ignored her and continued "I ran into her backyard and her sister almost kicked me out as if I am a thief." Ferio smiled at the memory. "But after some fighting with the sister, I get to see her. She was not happy and I have a strange feeling that I have to cheer her up, so I did everything bizarre I can imagine." He was almost laughing as he remembered he tried demonstrating eating pudding through the nose. Fuu nodded and remembered that all too well, it was in her greatest effort not to laugh. "After that, we became great friends, we went to the same kindergarten and we almost did everything together. Until we reached the first year of primary school. Her parents has to move away and we can do nothing about it." He said with lowered eyes. She nodded in understanding and sat nearer, patting his back. 

"But I did ask her something. I proposed to her." Ferio said almost proudly. Fuu blushed a little, she remembered that as well. They just hooked their little fingers and Ferio asked her to marry him when they grew up, he also said that he will not make her cry the way his father made her mother cry.

"But that is no longer a promise, she simply disappeared, I think her parents moved away or she no longer wanted to write to me. She no longer sent me any letters six years ago." He said as he closed his eyes and let Fuu put her arms around him comfortingly. 

"Her name is Fuu Hououji, same as you." He said as he rest his head on her shoulder.

"Its Christmas tomorrow, what are you going to do that day?" one of Fuu's girl friends asked another when they were preparing for their first lesson. 

"It's so lucky that this year's Christmas's in Sunday, I can spend my whole day whole night with Tatsurou. I will give him everything!" one of them said dramatically. All of them blushed and laughed. 

"How can you!" another one of the girls protested, still blushing, Emi, she decided people can only have a sexual intercourse after they were married. 

"Emi-chan! We are eighteen! Girls our age are doing it already!" the dramatic one, Manami, told her, fussing with her hair. 

"The only one in our group who is forbidden to do it will be Fuu! She just turned fifteen." Manami continued. 

"Anyway, I am going to give you some tip about this activity." Manami offered and everyone was blushing furiously until the morning bell stopped ringing.

Through those months, Tsuyoshii and Shin became even closer. Fuu was eating with them to escape from Manami's lectured about sexual affairs as Ferio was watching her all morning and if she was still blushing in the afternoon, he will consider bringing her to the doctor. And she can not go, or her cover will be blown apart as she has no heartbeat. 

"Did Manami, our class sex machine tell you anything this morning?" Tsuyoshii asked. 

Nothing of particular. Fuu lied with her hands, but she was still blushing. 

"Fine, you're not saying…" Tsuyoshii muttered. 

"Is anything wrong with you and Ferio-kun?" Shin asked in concern. 

Nothing happened. Fuu's sign said, but she did see something in Ferio's eyes that she could not read. 

"Ferio-kun looked lonely, even when he is civil to everyone and have some friends, he looked lonely." Shin said. 

"Are you too sensitive?" Tsuyoshii asked as he took a piece of apple from Shin's bentou. "About what?" Shin asked. 

"Ferio's loneliness, how can he be? He has his fan club, everyone is satisfied with his behavior. How lonely can he be now?" Tsuyoshii questioned. 

"But-Fuu-san seemed to be separated from him nowadays. She did not run around searching for him and he might miss that. As I always thought that Ferio-kun liked Fuu-san." Shin said. Fuu frowned and blushed a little. 

"Okay, do you like Ferio-kun?" Tsuyoshii asked bluntly. Fuu nodded. 

"And you don't want to sleep with him?" Tsuyoshii asked when Shin was almost sputtering. 

Sleeping, whereas? Fuu asked, tilting an eyebrow. 

"Sexual intercourse, these things start early for girls." Tsuyoshii had the grace to blush. Fuu shook her head. 

"So… this is weird…" Tsuyoshii frowned. 

"Can you live without him?" He pressed, more protests from Shin. And Fuu nodded.

"You two can live your life apart from him and you don't want to sleep with him… So this is all spiritual, is it?" Tsuyoshii asked. Fuu thought for a while and nodded. 

"You're in for a lot of trouble then. Ferio-kun knew nothing about spiritual love." Tsuyoushii sounded sympathetic. 

"But Ferio seemed to treat Fuu different from the way he treat other lovers." Shin pointed out. 

"What do you know about treating girls?" Tsuyoshii asked, his eyes unreadable. Fuu was watching with an 'oh-well' expression, their rumor seemed to be at least half-true. 

It was after school and Fuu was still blushing, she made a mental note to herself that she will never listen to anything Manami has to say ever again. Ferio approached her and touched her forehead. She blushed even more and looked up at him, he was measuring his own temperature then said "No fever…" he muttered. "Lets go and shop for some clothes, you don't even have a warm coat." Ferio said as he pulled her away from the classroom.

"Its silent night, don't you have to spend some time with Sara sansei?" Fuu asked as Ferio led her to one boutique to another, shoving (expensive) clothes at her for trying on. He turned to look at her Who told you about Sara?" Ferio asked. 

Isn't that quite obvious? Fuu asked with her hands. 

"You…" he muttered.

Sara sansei wa totemo yasashii. (Sara is very nice) Fuu smiled. Ferio smiled briefly and nodded then looked thoughtful once again.

"After all this walking about, you only bought a white duffel coat!" Ferio protested when Fuu pulled him towards the church. 

Shopping can wait. Fuu insisted and continued pulling him. He walked half reluctantly and half willingly, he will do anything as long as Fuu is happy. The priest was talking on and on. There was an echo in the church and Ferio heard nothing. He himself did not understand why Fuu wanted to go to church, she can not hear what the pastor was saying. However, being in church with Fuu did make him feel cleaner. He clasped his hands together, and said silently "Loving 2 women is a sin, however can not leave anyone of them. Please grant me the power to protect them, the power to make them happy." A little vibration from his cell phone yanked his eyes open and he pulled it out of his pocket to see a message from Sara, asking for help from her house.

Ferio gripped his cell phone the dashed through the door of the church amidst everyone's stares. He jumped into the taxi and dialed Innova's office's number and Innova's voice was heard after the third ring "Hello, this is Innova of …" he started when Ferio cut him off. 

"This is Ferio, will you pick Fuu up by the church near my apartment?" Ferio asked as he paid the taxi driver. 

"Too busy having an affair with a woman to pick her up yourself?" Innova asked. 

"I have no time for this." Ferio told him soberly then hung up. Innova at the other end were staring at the phone incredulously. 

"What is this PEST doing?" he muttered.

His hands were clenched tight when he followed the older and well built man into a dark alley. Ferio can not get the picture of Sara, shuddering in the corner of her couch, arms and feet bleeding, her face bruised and curling into herself, out of his head. "I will protect her, no matter what I have to pay." Ferio clenched his fist even tighter, drawing blood. 

"Masa!" Ferio called, his voice cracking with rage. 

"She was my girlfriend before you came… she belongs to me!" Masa's eyes were burning with madness. Ferio rolled the sleeves of his sleeves up, showing the sheen of perspiration that covered his lean muscles.

Fuu was still wondering why Ferio ran away as she walked out of the church when the head lights of a Mercedes Benz shone on her. Innova was leaning on the car, attracting quite a lot of attention from both sexes. Innova was very appealing, no matter in male's point of view or female's point of view. Fuu went to him, a part of her wanted to find a hole to hide as all attention went to her when Innova opened the car door to her, no matter what he does, Innova does it gracefully. 

"Where does my lady wants to go?" Innova asked, seeing that Fuu did not really want to go home yet. 

"To find the child she has to protect?" Innova asked with a smiled and saw Fuu's determined look from the rare view mirror and she nodded.

Fuu pulled the hood of her new coat over her head when the snows started falling as she ran up the stairs to Sara's apartment. Sara opened the door timidly and peek out. "Fuu-san?" Sara asked as she almost collapsed from relieve, then tensed at the sight of Innova. Fuu was shocked at the scene of Sara, she was totally wounded. 

"Daijoubu desuka?" Fuu asked with her hands in concern, helping Sara back to the couch, she was all the more sure that Ferio ran away because of this. 

"I am sorry to barge into your house like that, my lady, but I am Ferio's guardian, therefore I have to accompany Fuu-san in the search for him." Innova knelt in front of Sara and kissed her hand lightly, his silver head bowed. 

"I…" Sara started and blushed when Fuu's hands asked Where are the bandages? Sara pointed towards a little white box and Fuu went to get it.

After bandaging all the wounds, Sara explained what happened to her and Masa through sobs and shudders. Innova passed her a warm cup of tea to sooth her nerves as well as encouraging her to continue. "Then Ferio came in then the two of them said in quiet voices about going somewhere to 'take care' of the matters between them." Fuu nodded as she gave her teacher a hug then said with her hands I am sure they are near, we will find them. She assured Sara. 

"How?" Sara asked tiredly. 

"Two people angry with each other seldom go very far." Innova explained with a polite smile. 

Please rest well and relax, we will find them. Fuu said with her hands with a reassuring smile and went out of the door.

"You're sweet even to your rival, anata wa totemo yasashii… (you are so very gentle)" Innova smiled. 

She is the only one who can give Ferio his happiness. Fuu's hands said, her face blank then added Sara sansei ga suki desu, daisuki desu. (I like Sara-sansei very much) Fuu smiled. 

"Use your powers for them then." Innova said as he stared straight ahead. His slight form glowed as beautiful white wings bloomed from his back. 

"Hai, tenshi-chou-sama. (Yes, arch angel.)" Fuu bowed her head and said with her soft and gentle voice as white feathered wings sprang from her back.

Ferio screamed as the knife sliced against his skin, blood seeping through his clothes and dyed the pure white snow a dark crimson. He doubled over when a fist was slammed into his stomach and a kick kit him hard on the head. 

Fuu…Fuu… don't come! he thought before he passed out. He thought he saw a figure in pure white gliding towards him, snowy white arms spread wide, standing protectively between him and Masa.

Get lost! Masa screamed as he charged towards Fuu. Yet she stood there between them, not even budging. Her eyes flashed when a gust of green wind formed under Masa, whipping up the soft and fragile snow. The snow turned into a huge wall that knocked Masa to the floor. Fuu knelt down, gently lifting Ferio's head up from the snow to her warm lap, the blood he coughed up staining her white coat. She took her coat off gently to wrap around his cold body, stopping the life slip away from him as she let her healing powers seep into him.

Innova was calling the police when something glinted in the dark alley. Fuu was unaware of the still moving figure behind her as she nursed Ferio. Yet Ferio saw it and pulled Fuu into his arm and reversed positions with her. His scream of pain rang in the cold night air when he fell into Fuu's lap. 

"Innova-sama!" Fuu screamed when Innova landed one hand on Masa's neck and Masa to fall straight, head first into the snow. Then Ferio thought he heard a thunder clap.

"I washed his memories, so he will not remember you using magic." Innova said softly as he watched Fuu crading Ferio. She looked so much like a mother cradling her child in that instant. "I called the police, I will stay here, get him to the hospital. Quick, or else people are going to know your true form." Innova said soberly as Fuu pulled Ferio deep into her arms, nodded to Innova then took off to the air.

Fuu stopped by an empty room and put Ferio on the bed as she used her healing wind to cure the wounds. "Fuu… Tenshi… nano… " Ferio mumbled. Fuu bit her lip as she poured more powers into the wound in his lungs. Why do you have to save me? She asked him silently, desperately as she concentrated harder. 

"Fuu… mamote… (Fuu…protect)" he said softly as he opened his eyes and reached up to touch her face.

Innova walked into the room quietly, and saw the scene, his form glowing with power like Fuu, just that his power seemed to be much brighter. "You have two choices, one, let him die. The second one is give up the flame of life that is in yourself, in other words, give your life to him. If you choose the second one, there is a chance that he can activate your power in his body to cure all the wounds within one month. If you can get that power back within that time, you are not going to die. Or else, you are going to disappear forever, your existance will be unmade." Innova said professionally. Fuu smiled at him gently and nodded as she lifted Ferio from the bed so her forehead touched his, her form was glowing brilliantly in the life transfer.

Innova watched the two younger people with a slight smile on his face. He always knew that Fuu would have done what she just did. The reason he was sent to earth was not because of his attitude problem, but the way he can see through others, it is much too dangerous to have someone who can tell exactly what was in kami-sama's mind. "Rest well, little angel." Innova pulled an extra blanket out and wrapped it around Fuu who fainted right after the brilliance of her life died out and was transferred to Ferio. The hospital's midnight bell was ringing from a distance. Innova pressed the emergency bell to call a doctor and lifted Fuu off from her position on the bed and flew out of the window towards his office. "Merry Christmas" he said softly.

Ferio blinked his eyes open after 3 days of unconsciousness to see his sister's worried eyes. "Innova and Fuu-san found you by the alley fainted and they sent you to the hospital." His sister explained. 

"Tenshi…" Ferio murmured as he sat right up and felt his chest, there was a little ache and a warm power radiating. 

"Where is Fuu, is she alright?" Ferio asked. 

"What are you talking about?" Emeraude asked, slightly mystified. 

"She…" Ferio started then stopped as he realized that no one understood what he was saying. 

"She is with Innova right now, they were talking about how you got hurt. Really, Ferio, I know you often go to the edge of everything, but try to make Fuu's life easier for her. She was only a little girl, and Innova said that she has been here looking after you until she fainted, she has a cold." Emeraude said in a scolding tone, yet the hand that pushed his hair away from his face was gentle. 

"When can I see her?" Ferio asked softly. 

"She will come and see you." Emeraude's eyes were smiling as she asked the next question. 

"Feel something for her? She is like a family to you?" Ferio smiled and nodded.

Fuu was kneeling on one knee in front of Innova, letting the arch angel's power seep into her. 

"How do you feel, child?" Innova asked as he laid a hand on Fuu's blond head. 

I am fine, your holiness. Fuu answered. 

"Sit down on the couch then." Innova pointed to the seat comfortable covered with cushions. Fuu sat back down and received the first question from her supervisor, arch-angel Innova-sama. 

"Didn't you say that you can live without him?" Innova asked. 

Is there any connection to what I have done? Fuu asked, slightly mystified. 

"Well, didn't you risk your own very existence to save him? If he failed to save himself, you are going to perish with him." Innova told her. 

I trust him, I will not have to die. He will trigger the power of the angel and cure all the deadly wounds and at that, I can go back. Fuu smiled. 

"How?" Innova asked. 

I knew him as a child, he used to cherish all living things. I believe that life-loving spark has not died and never will die, therefore I can bet anything on that, even my existence. If he can trigger the power, it means that his injured heart is cured complete therefore my task is finished. She smiled. 

Innova looked at her and asked, "This is getting dangerous… I knew you just said that you will go back to the heavens, but you are starting to love him, you realize that?" 

Fuu smiled Concerned about me? Thank you for your concern, but I know what I am doing. I am not as fragile and weak as most people think. She said. 

"Answer my question." Innova pressed. 

Okay, my home is in the heavens, I can not stay too long. And also, because I love him, I have to ensure that he has a good life. The life under constant support from an angel is not a good one, that means he can not stand up himself and must be under my nose for always. People must depend on others in life, but they can not depend everything on others, he has to live his own life and that is the happiest life for him. Fuu explained. 

"That is why you gave over your place in his heart to Sara-sansei?" Innova asked. Sara-sansei earned his love herself. I know she is not comfortable with Ferio and me, but there is a subtle difference between his feeling for her and for me. Ferio need constant reassuring from Sara-sansei that she loved him but he does not need it from me. There is a mutual bonding between us from the day we met when we were children to this day and the bond will only get stronger as time goes. Even when we are not together, we knew what each other was doing, and we will want to live a decent life for each other. Fuu explained. 

"This is a little beyond me…" Innova said as smiled slightly and nodded "But then it sounds wonderfully spiritual, you two were as if you don't even have to touch each other to feel the other half." Innova said. He knew, from the first time he saw Fuu, that he will be able to experience something he has never seen or read or foretell and that is what really bonds him to the young angel. She represents change and surprise for him.

Fuu visited Ferio the next day and he did not know what, but he felt that Fuu was fading. Fuu always had a presence about her, and he somehow get the picture that she was disappearing. 

"Fuu!" Ferio called gently as he held her hand. 

Innova stared at them and said "Don't start having weird thoughts about your nurse." as he arranged his flowers (white lilies, of course). Ferio blushed, but did not loosen his hold while Fuu was not even aware of what Innova said, as she was deaf. 

"Fuu, do you feel well?" he asked, he did not know why but there seemed to be something about her that suggested that she was ill, or even worse. Fuu nodded, but her eyes were wary. 

"Your cold gone?" Ferio asked again, and she nodded. "Is there something you are hiding from me?" he asked as his hand tightened on hers. She looked at him, her pale lips parted as if she wanted to tell him something, but stopped when his attention turned from her to the figure by the doorway. Innova looked at them, then arched an eyebrow, bowed at Sara, then left the room with Fuu. Ferio was staring at Fuu's retreating back when she closed the door. Fuu never once looked back at him when she leaves.

"Ferio…" Sara started as she came nearer to him. 

"Hai, sansei?" he asked playfully and grinned boyishly. 

"Are you…" she started as she stepped all the more nearer. 

"I'm not dead." He said gently as he felt her warm tears fell. 

"Gomen ne." she said softly as she cried in his arms. 

"I wanted to protect you." He said softly as he tilted her chin to kiss her. 

"Do you love me?" she asked in a trembling voice. Ferio smiled and nodded.

"Enough to marry me?" She asked. Ferio closed his eyes and nodded, but there was a very slight reluctance in it, however, Sara missed it.

Fuu was walking through the snow covered streets with Innova, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets, her face hidden deep in the hood. Innova did not know why she has to spend so many on having the blood cleaned from the coat as the coat does not cost much. He glanced at her sideways and sighed as he laid a hand on her head and both their forms glowed. 

"Tell me what's wrong." Innova said, his hand stayed on her head as they walked into the park by Ferio's apartment. Fuu said nothing as Innova proceed to lead her to the park bench. 

"Say something." He said softly. 

"I could have expressed myself much better if I can speak to him." She said softly as she pushed the hood off her head. 

"What do you want to say to him?" Innova asked. 

"I don't know…" Fuu answered simply as she closed her eyes. 

"Will crying help?" Innova asked as he looked at her face. Fuu smiled and nodded. He smiled and stroked her hair brotherly as he glowed.

Fuu has not cried from the day she died, angels can not cry. A tear dripped and another dripped. 

"Do you want them together?" Innova asked as he stroked her hair brotherly. Fuu nodded. 

"What have you been saying to yourself all these years? A person can not be so selfless. What do you want to say to him?" Innova asked gently as the smaller girl continued to rub her eyes. 

"Chotto sabishii ne…" Fuu whispered softly. "Don't laugh… I told myself to give Ferio over to Sara-sansei, but deep inside…" she smiled a little.

"Deep inside what?" Innova asked.

"Deep inside, I said 'If I have to give Ferio over to someone else, I'd rather kill him then kill myself' but, I didn't do it at the end." She smiled through her tears. Then sighed "Demo ne, chotto sabishii ne…"

"Sabishii? You are not a lonely person, you do not even know what really is lonely." He said softly as he looked at the heavens, deep in his own thoughts. Fuu blinked as she looked at him and wiped her eyes completely dry with the sleeve of her coat. He smiled and turned back to her, patting her head and said "You are not a lonely person. I knew it from the first time I saw you. You have the strength to stand up to loneliness and fight it, you are not going to go out of your way for any evil, and do you know what?" she looked at him and asked "What is it?" 

"The greatest evil of all is loneliness, because of the pain cause by this feeling, people do immoral things. You might think that it is power or money that corrupted people, but it is loneliness that caused the corruption. People want to join into a party, some without the strength to fight loneliness will turn immoral or cruel." Innova explained. 

"Why do you say that I do not know what is loneliness?" Fuu asked. 

"People with the will and strength to fight it will never feel it and never know it as it will never come close to them. You are sensitive to others feelings and you know that people are suffering. It might be wrong to say that one must feel the pain to heal it. You never know loneliness, but you healed others, just by being there. I think your mission here is to make you realize this strength in you as well as to finish your unfinished business." Innova said softly.

That same night, Tsuyoshii and Shin went over to her apartment to visit her, both of them noticed that she was not her normal self ever since Ferio went to the hospital, even after knowing that Ferio survived.

"We're visiting." Tsuyoshii told her as he went right to the den and Fuu nodded.

"So Ferio-kun lived here." Shin walked around.

"Are you okay?" Tsuyoshii asked when Fuu looked questioningly at him.

"What Tsuyoshii meant is that he's worried about you." Shin said softly and chuckled "I do as well." He looked at her seriously.

Gomen ne… Fuu apologized.

"Something about Ferio?" Tsuyoshii asked.

Sou… Fuu nodded, and this made Tsuyoshii and Shin looked even more amazed.

"You have never been so honest in all your life…" Tsuyoshii told her, his eyes wide.

What? Fuu asked almost peevishly.

"Just that…" Tsuyoshii started to blush as Shin took Fuu's hand and smiled. 

"You saved my life… I will do anything to help you." Shin smiled.

"So don't look so lonely." Tsuyoshii rose from his seat and patted her head.

"We're friends, right? We will not leave you lonely." Shin smiled and cocked his head as Tsuyoshii went to the door.

Fuu smiled and closed her eyes "Watashi wa… Hitori janai"

Ferio laid in bed, wide awake at night. "Fuu…" Ferio called softly in his head. "Are you hiding something from me?" he asked silently. Then something struck him, the teenage Fuu now looked exactly like the child Fuu he knew. Ferio smiled as he realized something "You two are the same person, ne? You are always beside me, at least in spirit… always, and forever will be" He said to himself and smiled.


	4. Meikyuu no naka (In the maze)

Part 4 Eyes on me (FF8 theme song. Sung by Faye Wong)  
  
School was no longer in peace after Ferio's incident as his and Sara's affairs were all over school. Almost all people whom Ferio can call friends cast him out, the girls were even worst to Sara-sansei as cruel pranks and jokes were played on her.  
  
"Fuu-san." Shin called when Fuu walked into the classroom and almost all classmates were discussing about Ferio and Sara's affairs and were waiting to hear something from her point of view. Fuu just sighed and shook her head as she allowed Shin and Tsuyoshii to lead her out of the classroom to the roof.  
  
//How did that leak out?// Fuu's hands asked them.  
  
"Well, the police were informed that there was a fight near Sara-sansei's apartment. The police found that Ferio-kun went to hospital because of a stab in his lungs. Masa, Sansei's Ex was laying on the floor and after he woken up, the only thing the police can get from his was that Sara-sansei belongs to him and so Ferio-kun should die. The policemen marched right into the school to see Sara-sansei and that thing just leaked out." Shin said with anxiety in his voice.  
  
Tsuyoshii just said coldly "Fools, narrow minded idiots… what was so fascinating in some news like that? Things like that happens everyday." Tsuyoshii just pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked down the building and everything beneath him in contempt. Fuu just looked up at the sky helplessly and leaned on the fence.  
  
"Everyone loves Sansei before this…" Shin murmured sadly as Tsuyoshii wordlessly put his arm around the shorter boy. Fuu glanced at them then turned away.  
  
Ferio was sitting alone in an empty field, he was ready to burst any minute. He did not care what others were doing to him, but he would not forgive anyone who dares try anything on Sara.  
  
"I swore my life to protect you. But what have I done?" he asked himself bitterly as he buried his head in his arms. Fuu sat down beside him on the grass silently and he did not notice her until five minutes later. Fuu did not mean to interrupt. However, she was alarmed when she saw his shoulders trembling. She sat nearer, put her arms around his trembling form, then held his head to her shoulder as she stroked his hair and back gently and motherly. Ferio bit his lip as he cried on Fuu's shoulder, he knew he can not hear him physically, but he knew that she felt his emotions.  
  
"Fuu…" he whispered in her ear, she leaned closer as if she heard what he said. He pushed back gently and asked, his mouth moving slowly, to let her understand every word he said.  
  
"Is it wrong to love two women at once? What I mean is, I do not want to own them, but I want to protect them, if that was the least I could do." He explained as Fuu dried his tears with her handkerchief.  
  
//Have you consider the consequences of everything?// Fuu asked in sign language and he shook his head.  
  
"Your intentions were good, but you just can not achieve it without a lot of thought. Love takes a lot of thought. There is a lot of planning on how you can make the other person happy. You wanted to protected 2 people at once and that made things even more difficult for you.// Fuu told him rationally, her eyes steady.  
  
"What do you want to say now?" he asked bitterly.  
  
//Think of a way to get Sara-sansei out of this mess as you are part of the problem. Try to use your brain and not your heart some times.// She told him soberly with her hands.  
  
He glared at her angrily then said softly "Why? Why do you have to be like everyone else?" his eyes changed from angry to hurt. Fuu's eyes softened as she reached her hand out to touch him, but before she made any contact with him, she hesitated, then took her hand back and turned away. Ferio stared at Fuu's retreating and bit his lip as he closed his eyes.  
  
//Fuu-san, Sara-sansei wanted to see you.// Tsuyoshii informed Fuu after school and Fuu nodded solemnly.  
  
"Anything on your mind?" Tsuyoshii asked, using sign language.  
  
//If things has to be done, you have to do it yourself, Ferio has to understand this. I guess Ferio must still live under my nose for some more time.// Fuu said in sign language.  
  
//What is your relationship with Ferio really? You knew about Sansei and him all along?// Tsuyoshii asked. Fuu nodded then Tsuyoshii stated //Then you are awfully sacrificing, as Ferio was two hearts about you and her.//  
  
Fuu shook her head then smiled and said with her hands //He is more determined about us that surprised me, he was almost dead stubborn about it.//  
  
//He cares about you more or her more?// Tsuyoshii asked.  
  
//You are being very nosy.// Fuu stated with a little smile.  
  
Tsuyoshii frowned at what he heard in the staff room, all the teachers were hinting that Sara was a nymph or a prostitute and some were commenting on her openly. He glanced at Fuu, she seemed to know what is going on and marched into the office and pretended to be tripped by the cable of the computers and fell. As she fell she pushed every piece of paper off the nearby desk. All attention was on her then. She bowed her head deeply and appeared deceivingly meek when the teachers just glared at her and said nothing. Fuu did not only live under Ferio's shelter, but she is the girl genius that pushes the grades up to the top three secondary school in Japan, no one could afford to lose her. She went to Sara and asked in sign language  
  
//You wished to see me, Sansei?// Sara glanced around the room. Even as Fuu rescued her from all the teachers's words this moment, she did not rescue her from all their gossip and they were all staring at her in contempt. She closed her eye briefly as she asked in sign language  
  
//We can go outside to talk?// Fuu nodded with an understanding smile as she took Sara's hand. Sara was surprised by Fuu's action, no matter how gentle Fuu is, she will not be as sweet to a rival, or is it that Fuu never even see her as a rival?  
  
Sara bowed her head as she passed her students who were casting the two of them weird glances. Yet, they did not seem to have any affect on Fuu when Sara was about to hide herself.  
  
//Have you your wallet?// Fuu asked suddenly with her hand. Sara nodded and looked at the younger girl questioningly. Fuu smiled and led her to the bus station.  
  
Innova was staring at his two guests, one of them was Ferio's girl friend and the other was Fuu. Innova was connecting with Fuu with their minds as he plastered a deceivingly pleasant smile on his face.  
  
"It is entirely my pleasure to see you again, Sensei." He said as his mind said What are you two doing here? his tone rang out a little annoyed in Fuu's head.  
  
Sara bowed deeply and said "Sorry that we are interrupting your work." Fuu's mind's respond was Your place seems the most appropriate of all. She was smiling at him innocently, ignoring his remark.  
  
"Oh, not at all, not at all." Innova said with his mouth, but in his mind, he said I have a lot of work to do!  
  
Like writing reports to avoid taxes and thinking of ways to swallow Microsoft? Fuu asked, her smiled was just as hard as Innova. Sara was deep in her own thoughts to not have noticed that their faces' muscles were turning into stone.  
  
Innova was the one who relented when Fuu started talking about communism like an extreme red, but before he left the room, he cast a worried glance at Fuu. By losing her flame of life, Fuu loose a lot of coloring, her face was as pale as snow and her hair was more like silver than blond. "Why do you have to worry about another's problems when your own existence were at risk?" he asked as he closed the door as he sighed "maybe you ought to be turned into an arch angel now."  
  
//What do you want to say to me about?// Fuu asked with her hands as she sat down on the couch before Sara.  
  
"What is exactly your relationship with Ferio?" Sara asked as she felt shame welling up, she is a teacher and this is her student. What teacher will want to fight for a boy with a student? Through any angle, Fuu suited Ferio more than her.  
  
//Guardian angel and boy.// Fuu answered truthfully.  
  
"Nothing physically romantic?" Sara asked, she would have blushed even more if it was possible.  
  
//Physically whereas?// Fuu asked innocently.  
  
"I mean…sexually romantic…" Sara said softly.  
  
//Does hugs count?// Fuu asked with her hands. Sara lowered her head, why is she talking about sex with a girl eight years younger than her?  
  
Sara changed the subject and asked "Is it possible that you can live without him?" Fuu frowned a little then nodded  
  
//I suppose so, and I must.// Her hands replied as Fuu had an unreadable look in her eyes.  
  
"Why?" Sara asked, a little confused.  
  
//My home is no longer here and I can not have one here, I left once and returned to finish up something I could not finish when I was here.// Fuu replied. Sara nodded and fell silent.  
  
Fuu smiled gently and asked //You have problems that you think I can solve?// Sara looked at her and nodded.  
  
"I really am not trying to ask you to sacrifice yourself for me, but…" she touched her belly gently as a tear slide down her cheek. Fuu smiled as she understood her little gesture.  
  
"Ferio's child?" she asked with her hands as her smile was angelic. Sara nodded and said quietly "It should be his."  
  
//He knows?// Fuu asked. Sara shook her head.  
  
//Tell him, he would be delighted.// Fuu said with her hands. Sara sighed inwardly, as she knew immediately why Ferio just could not help himself from loving the younger girl. Fuu sees him in a totally different angle than anyone else, and they have a little world of their own that no one can go in.  
  
"Will he think he or she is Masa's son?" Sara asked worriedly.  
  
//Does that matter to him? Everything has ended after the fight he fought with Masa. You are released. Therefore, no matter who the father is, as long as you are the mother, Ferio is willing to be the father.// Fuu said with a smile.  
  
"You think so?" Sara asked doubtfully. "I always seemed to think that he is just toying with me… and loved me because I resembled you in some way." Another tear slide down her cheek and Fuu looked confused. "I know, I met him first therefore he should love you because you resembles me, but I think I am just your shadow at times. You were the person whom he loved with all his heart." Sara said softly.  
  
//You are as well.// Fuu noted with a smile when Sara's eyes widened.  
  
//The problem now is to stop all those people from attacking you, is it?// Fuu asked after a while.  
  
Sara just smiled a little and shook her head then said softly "I will quit the job, so you don't have to worry…"  
  
Fuu blinked and asked //Have you done anything that is a shame to the school?// Sara's eyes widened again and murmured "Why… that rumor…"  
  
//Is that about the school or about you two?// Fuu asked.  
  
Sara closed her eyes softly and said "About us…"  
  
//Then we have to tell them that it's none of their business.// Fuu smiled softly.  
  
After Sara left, Fuu was sitting in Innova's office drinking tea. "I sometimes wonder whether you are born to be an angel and not a human." Innova muttered.  
  
//Why?// Fuu asked.  
  
"Being gentle and nice to everyone, even your rival and almost anyone aside from yourself." Innova said as he reached across the desk to touch her forehead. Both their forms glow, after the light died, some of Fuu's color came back to her. "With my help, I am sure you can last a little longer than one month if you will stop stressing over everything that is none of your business. But since you just will not stop worrying about others, your time shortens, I don't know whether you can live 2 weeks even with my help." Innova told her.  
  
Fuu smiled //Thank you for your concern, but I think Ferio can save himself. I will not take the flame back before all his wounds are healed.//  
  
Innova flushed a little and muttered "I'm just concerned about you wasting my energy."  
  
Fuu just smiled and said //Hai, Honto ni gomenasai.//  
  
Fuu went home to see Ferio lying on the couch, asleep. She went to him and saw all homework were set neatly, turned to the right page for her to mark. Beside the books, there was a tray of food on the table covered with a napkin, a little note was laid on top. She curiously picked the note up and read "I know I have been acting childish, you were the rational one and I should not have picked on you because of that. However…" she blinked at what the note "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, COMING HOME AT THIS TIME OF THE NIGHT? TRYING TO PULL BOYS OUT OF THE BAR AGAIN?" It was written in bold and red outlined with black. She smiled as she folded the note up carefully and put it in her wallet as she went into his room to get him a blanket.  
  
She wrapped the blanket around him motherly as he reached out to hold her hand. "Fuu…" he muttered in his sleep. Fuu read his lips and smiled a little before the next set of words came "Omae wa tenshi…janai ka? (Aren't you an angel?)"  
  
Fuu frowned lightly, but smiled again Bingo. Anata no dake desu. (Your angel.)  
  
She held his hand a little tighter, but found that she did not want to let go, as her flame of life was beckoning to her. She closed her eyes and let the life seep into her. Arigato, Ferio. She smiled as she realized that she did not need Innova to charge her up every time.  
  
Both Ferio and Sara's state of life were not any better, yet they seemed to find some peace in both their hearts. Innova was persuading Ferio to sue Masa for attempted murder so Masa could be locked away, but because Ferio did not want the matter in school to worsen, he chose to let the matter drop. However, as he chose to drop the problem, the school did not, and demanded that Sara clear the matter up in assembly, in front of all the students, as well as the PTA.  
  
Fuu, Shin and Tsuyoshii were standing in line in the hall, Ferio took a deep breath as he stared at the absolutely straight lines of students in front of him. "Fuu…" his mind called softly as he looked down at the front row of the students to see her, smiling at him in encouragement. "Yuuki wo dashite…" He muttered as the principal made his statement about all the rumors flowing around school as well as the scandals in newspapers. Sara looked at the students, she must say that she loved most of them and hate none of them as they have their own lovable ways. And it hurts her all the more to know that they started feeling contempt towards her when they knew about the affairs of herself and Ferio. She looked at Fuu Hououji, the girl genius of her class, she knew Fuu well, she thought. Fuu looked soft most of the time, but she might have all the inner strength that everyone lacked, she was steel under velvet. Then she looked at the representatives of Ferio's family, Emeraude and Innova. She has seen Innova and he strike her as someone who was much deeper than he appears to be, he has power unseen but felt wrapped around him all the time, he has an ageless and flawlessly pretty face. As for Emeraude, she was a fairy tale princess, the long sunlight golden hair that sparkled under lights, the bright eyes that changed from blue to green depending on her mood as well as the perfect features on her face. Both Innova and Emeraude were expressionless, Emeraude did not even look shocked nor humiliated when all the reporters crowded around her, a powerful woman, Sara decided. She must prove her point to all these people.  
  
Emeraude watched everyone on the stage, the Principal of the school looked scandalized and torn apart because he does not know what to do with the two people. Ferio is her brother and she is one of the shareholders of the school therefore the School can do nothing about Ferio. However, what about Sara? Emeraude has always thought that her brother was more or less attracted to Fuu and here comes his teacher. She did not mind much about Sara or Ferio's relationship, however, she wanted to know how Ferio will handle it.  
  
"I am very sorry for whatever trouble I have caused the school and the school has every right to fire me before the matter has worsened to this, therefore I am grateful." Sara said formally to the microphone. "I have always known that a romantic relationship between a teacher is immoral in a traditional sense. But I have been wondering, why is this so?" Sara asked through the microphone.  
  
"Have I neglected my other students? Have I not been doing my job correctly?" she asked the audience. "I will apologize for any inconvenience my relationship caused the school. But I refuse to apologize for the relationship I have with Ferio as it is genuine. At least it is, in my point of view." Sara said softly. The whole hall was quiet and Fuu smiled softly.  
  
"Gold digger…" One of the students yelled, then another voice chorused. Fuu looked around and frowned.  
  
Looked as if she still has some problems to solve. She said as she watched Sara. Sara seemed totally unprepared for this and tears sprang to her eyes. Fuu closed her, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and prayed silently. Ganbatte kudasai, Sara-sensei.??  
  
As if answering Fuu's prayer, Sara opened her mouth after she wiped her eyes. "I…I am well aware of Ferio's family and noticed that he has an extremely wealthy family. However, I am not attracted to him at first because of the money." Sara said softly as she looked at Ferio. Ferio was looking at her, an unreadable expression on his face.  
  
"I went to him because I thought he needed me." There was silence in the auditorium.  
  
"The first time I felt that I have something for him was when he was in a bar, drinking alone, he was drunken and was crying over his family and a little friend. At that moment I decided I would do anything for him, even if it means going against any school rule. Later, I noticed that I needed him." She said softly.  
  
"If none of you believe I could not do anything about it and if firing me would help, you think, fire me." She said softly, her head bowed.  
  
Fuu looked around and everyone was silent, she took it as a good sign as she heaved a sigh of relieve. Ferio went to the stand and cleared his throat as he looked at her. She smiled encouragingly. Please, don't let him start his speech by a swear word. She prayed inwardly, she knew he is not in any danger, but if he said anything wrong, Sara is going to be fired, no doubt.  
  
"Well, what the hell am I doing here?" that is how Ferio started his speech. He almost laughed to see that all Fuu, Tsuyoshii and Shin to slap their hands to their foreheads in defeat.  
  
"You all are just pointing fingers at us to show that you people are moral, what can we say about that? If you people decided that blaming other people for something that is immoral by traditional standards and that could make you better people, by any means, do so." He said fiercely. Fuu arched an eye brow at what he was saying, she did not expect that from Ferio.  
  
So maybe he is more understanding about human nature than what I thought… Innova and she thought simultaneously.  
  
"I admit I was only curious and only treated everything I did to Sara as a game." Ferio dropped the 'sensei' once and for all. Emeraude smiled a little at herbrother, he already behaved a lot better than what she expected. The worst expected was to beat the principal in to mush then screamed swear words into the microphone until it reached its seventh harmonic to make everyone deaf. Of course it was Innova who put everything into words, yet she could only disagree verbally, deep inside she expected the same from her little brother. From her point of view, she could see that Fuu was visibly praying when Ferio went on stage, She would have done the same. Emeraude simply has to maintain her calm cool and regal appearance, if Zagato is the merchant Prince, she is the crown princess. Fretting over her brother and showing that she has no confidence in him is not how a crown princess behaves.  
  
"Even if I treated everything as a game at first I realized I am a lot more serious about her than I thought and I have seldom been so serious in my life. The last thing I want to say is," he looked at Fuu, she was watching him with some interest, obviously, she was quite impressed by him.  
  
"I am going to beat anyone into mush if they even dared to humiliate Sara." He said quietly, but even more menacing. He stepped off the stand, and in the corner of his eye, he saw that Fuu slapped her hand on her forehead again.  
  
The assembly ended as their teacher and fellow student stunned everyone. The principal ended up saying that what to do with Sara and Ferio will be decided on a staff meeting. Surprisingly, it was Tsuyoshii, the class president as well as the president of the student body who raced up the stage, stopping the principal's retreat while pulling Fuu with him.  
  
"If their fate is decided by the school, then I suggest that the students are supposed to take part." He said after a bow to the principal. Fuu looked at him as she wondered what she was doing up there.  
  
"Pull those two down, Fujimiya Tsuyoshii, Hououji Fuu, come and see me later." The Principal said. He was thoroughly tired after having to deal with the student and the teacher's romantic affairs, he did not expect the two top genius of the school pulling a fuss over things. Fuu pulled at Tsuyoshii's sleeve, indicating that he translate her sign language for her. Tsuyoshii nodded and began as Fuu's hands started working.  
  
"If this is the school's matter then the students should have a vote over it." Fuu's words were said through Tsuyoshii's mouth.  
  
"That is exactly the point I want to make." Tsuyoshii said to Fuu while Fuu only smiled.  
  
"This is none of the students' business, they only have to study hard and achieve good grades." The principal said in a red face.  
  
"Why am I and Fuu-san studying here then?" Tsuyoshii asked. "What people meant by geniuses are seldom people who need to study day and night, to be honest, Fuu-san and I seldom study. Fuu-san, give me your schedule of a normal day." Tsuyoshii requested. Fuu only blushed as she handed him a piece of paper, she understood what Tsuyoshii pulled her into this, just to make his point.  
  
"Wow, only one hour of work that involved school, half an hour was to mark Ferio's homework and the other half was to finish yours." Tsuyoshii said conversationally to Fuu, but the audience was the whole of the assembly.  
  
"So, please tell us why are we in school?" Tsuyoshii challenged the principal directly.  
  
This person is too cocky, can anyone teach him a lesson? Fuu thought.  
  
As the principal was speechless at the moment, Tsuyoshii carried on "We are here to learn about the society and human relationships as well. Sara- sensei is a very good teacher, we all feel that she is a friend instead of a teacher, I know many girls who go to her when they have relationship problems with their boyfriends. Ferio-kun is well… um… dirt in the school, we know the dark side of the society through him. Because they are such good resources, I consider that kicking them out of the school will be the school's greatest lost, don't you agree, Fuu-san?" Tsuyoshii said to Fuu, in that same conversational tone through the microphone. Fuu glared a bit, but nodded. What else could she do if Tsuyoshii has to say something like that?  
  
"I said…" the principal started, but was cut off by Innova. "Sorry to interrupt, but…" cheers rang out when Innova stepped up to the stage, Innova was very appealing to both genders, and again, he proved it.  
  
"Hello to you all, I am Emeraude-san, president of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association)'s spokesman. We decided that let the students vote as well would be interesting and would be right as they paid the school fees." Innova said softly.  
  
"Who wants Sara-sansei and Ferio-kun to stay, raise up their hands!" Tsuyoshii called. There were cheers were thunderous and a shot up of hands.  
  
"So the students want them to stay." Tsuyoshii said to the principal with a triumphant smile on his flawless porcelain face.  
  
"We will take care of this…" the principal said softly as he hurried down stage before any one of the two brilliant students on stage will have anything spring up on their devious brains. The school was scandalized enough, he did not need more reports about his school.  
  
Ferio was walking home with Fuu that night, neither one of them said anything to each other until they reach the park. "Fuu…" Ferio began as he pulled her back to face him. Fuu looked at him questioningly.  
  
"What I said on stage was true, I am serious about Sara." He said and he can not read her expression as her back was to the setting sun. Fuu nodded as her hand tightened around his.  
  
"I vowed to protect her with my life when we were praying in the church in silent night's eve." He continued and Fuu nodded again as he pulled her closer to him gently.  
  
//I know.// Her hands said, her form was glowing warm and golden in the setting sun.  
  
//From the way you ran into the fight with Masa for her, I noticed that much.// Fuu's hands said.  
  
"And in that fight, I noticed something else as well." Ferio said softly as he wrapped his arms around her gently. It was not the passionate embrace he had with Sara, but a much softer one, however, just as loving, maybe even more.  
  
Fuu pushed away from him, much to his surprise and walked away towards the road that they have to cross. Fuu did not seem to be walking very fast, but she was well ahead of him and crossed the road already, leaving him behind.  
  
"FUU!" he screamed, ignoring the staring crowds. As if in respond to the plea in his voice, Fuu turned to him, her eyes wide, her pretty face expressionless, like a porcelain doll's.  
  
"Ore wa Fuu ga itsumo daisuki!" He screamed across the street while doing sign language as well.  
  
However, a truck just has to pass at the right time, at the right place and so his voice was drowned and Fuu just could not see his hands.  
  
He drooped his head when she crossed the road to him. "Fuu… I…" he began when she smiled and extended her hand to him.  
  
"Go home?" her lips, said silently. He smiled and nodded, much better than standing there to be stared at, and her gentle smile was all he wanted for now.  
  
Fuu knew that he has just been confessing to her when the truck passed, yet she was not going to give anything away until he is going to do it again. She was walking a little a head of him when a ray of light stabbed into her. She bit her lip and thought frantically I still have two weeks to go… this should not happen so fast. Before the thought end, she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.  
  
Ferio's eyes widened and gently lifted Fuu into his arms. "Fuu…" he shook her gently "Fuu…" he called more urgently as he pulled his own coat off to wrap around her ice cold body. A picture flashed through his mind, Fuu has been taking her coat off to wrap around him when Masa charged at him. Then… then what? He can not remember, as if a ward was set up to stop him from remembering that night's events.  
  
"Fuu…" he started again as he lifted her up. Another picture flashed in his mind, Fuu was putting his head on her lap gently that night as well. Aside from her eyes, everything was white in his vision, she was as white and as pure as the snow falling from the sky…  
  
His blood dyed the shimmering white snow into crimson…  
  
Fuu's hands were cold and trembling…  
  
Her hands were melting like snow over him  
  
Melting…  
  
Melting…  
  
Snow…  
  
Shimmering…  
  
White…  
  
Feathers…  
  
Feathers?  
  
Ferio can remember feathers, feathers as white as the snow, they were both shimmering and white, so purely white it was. Wings… huge, powerful and gentle at the same time, cold gentle hands lifting him from the blood soaked snow. He clutched his head as the ward in his head shattered and every picture went back to him. Fuu was holding him, he felt that he was drifting in the wind in her cold but gentle embrace as she flew above the city to the hospital.  
  
Something warm rolled down his cheeks, warm tears…  
  
Warm…  
  
Gentle…  
  
Powerful…  
  
Hot…  
  
Flame…  
  
"You used your life to save me, did you?" he asked softly as he closed the door to his apartment.  
  
"Why?" he asked as he held her closer as he set her down on the couch. Her form glowed, her lips parted in a silent scream and he watched in awe as soft white-feathered wings bloomed outwards from her back. Without the 'flame of life' Fuu could not even maintain her human form. "Omae wa tenshi…ore no tenshi da…(You are an angel…my angel…)" his lips said softly as he brushed her now-golden hair away from her face. 


End file.
